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When filmmaker Sam Bassett moved into the Hotel Chelsea last month, he became not only the newest resident in a building almost 100 years older than himself, but also a part of the legendary artistic community distressed by a management takeover they fear could steal the Chelsea's soul.
"I'm touched to be a part of this place, and feel a responsibility to continue the spirit," said Bassett, 29, from his rooftop garden.
"The hotel is the last place on this island that has maintained a joyous, individualistic lifestyle, and everyone is concerned now that the sacred energy might be lost."
Bassett is working with producer Leila Antakly, 31, on a documentary feature about the hotel, tentatively entitled "Changing of the Guard."
The film will explore the recent ouster of longtime hotel manager and co-owner Stanley Bard, 73, who for five decades cultivated a creative bohemia at the Chelsea. He handpicked the...